Dravid believes India need luck to conquer S Africa

PTI

New Delhi, December 26

India head coach Rahul Dravid today said his team would not mind a bit of “luck” going its way as it aims to win a maiden Test series in South Africa and breach its ‘final frontier’ after 31 years of attempting.

You need a little bit of luck as well in these conditions, there are lot of plays and misses, you want to be the one playing and missing, and hopefully, the opposition edging those same ones — Rahul Dravid, India coach

Having first visited South Africa in 1992, India have made seven more tours and won four Tests but are yet to win a series, even though the Asian giants have won Test series in England, Australia and New Zealand.

“We (have) come close a couple of times and we have played some good cricket here... just a few critical moments we have not been able to, maybe, get over the line, get the 34-40-50 runs that you probably need to be able to... to compete here,” Dravid said today.

The batting great said India will take a lot of confidence from the manner in which they bowled on the last tour two years ago, when they squandered a 1-0 advantage to lose the three-match rubber.

“Having said that, we looked at a lot of stuff and the way we bowled, I thought we bowled really well in the last series which gives us a lot of confidence that we have the ability to take 20 wickets here with the kind of attack that we have,” he said.

Dravid added: “You need a little bit of luck as well in these conditions, there are lot of plays and misses, you want to be the one playing and missing, and hopefully, the opposition edging those same ones. I think there is a little bit of luck involved. But, as long as you do your skills well and make sure that you are putting the ball in the right area, as batting with a certain level of discipline and patience when it is required, looking to capitalise when the ball gets a little bit softer and you are ahead of the game and recognising that you are never in these kinds of conditions in South Africa... You might feel that you are in when batting on 34-40, but really, if you can convert that into a a significant score that makes a big difference.” — PTI

‘If Proteas play 2 Tests a year, how will Rabada reach 400 wickets’

Centurion: Kagiso Rabada is already in the pantheon of great South African fast bowlers, but if the Proteas play only a limited number of Tests a year, he can never surpass Dale Steyn’s record of 439 wickets, reckoned Makhaya Ntini. In fact, the on-going Test is only their third in 2023. Ntini, one of the pace greats from SA with 390 Test wickets, was asked if Rabada (285 wickets) can be named among stalwarts such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Steyn and Ntini himself. “He is already up there. When you talk about those bowlers, they have passed the 400-mark and KG (Rabada) is chasing the 300-mark. But we have got a massive problem. You are playing two Test matches a year. Do you think this guy can hold up till he gets to that milestone,” Nitini said. Ntini also said that Jasprit Bumrah is special. Look where Bumrah releases the ball, from the top of his head. So, he gets the angle to bring the ball back in. He can get deliveries to straighten after pitching,” he said.

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